1. What inspired you to start your tax service 30 years ago? My journey into the tax and accounting field began while my husband was serving in the United States Marine Corps. While he was stationed in North Carolina, I prepared tax returns for military families and small businesses through H&R Block located just outside the military base. I quickly realized how much I enjoyed helping people understand their taxes and navigate their financial situations. Before that, I also worked as an accountant for Winn-Dixie and Albertsons while living in Florida, which helped build a strong foundation in accounting and financial management. When my husband completed his military service and we made Indiana our permanent home, I decided to start my own tax and accounting firm. At the time our children were young, and owning my own business allowed me to balance raising our family while continuing a career I truly enjoyed. The experiences I gained traveling with my husband to different military bases, working with military families, and building my accounting background ultimately inspired me to take the leap and open my own business. Thirty years later, it has been incredibly rewarding to continue serving our community and helping individuals and businesses succeed. 2. How has the business evolved since you first opened? When I first started the business, I prepared about 50 tax returns in my first year. Through word of mouth and referrals from satisfied clients, the following year that number grew to more than 150. Each year the business continued to grow, and eventually I needed to hire a receptionist just to help answer the phones during tax season. I operated Tidewater from my home until 2004. By that time, the business had grown to approximately 700 tax clients along with about 20 bookkeeping and payroll clients. That was the point when I decided it was time to move the business out of my home and into a building in town so we could better serve our growing client base. Interestingly, the year we moved into our office, our tax client base doubled to around 1,400 clients. Since then, Tidewater has continued to grow and evolve. Today we have a team of 13 employees during tax season, with 10 of them working year-round with us year-round providing tax, bookkeeping, and payroll services. It has been incredibly rewarding to see the business grow from a small home-based operation into a full-service firm serving so many individuals and businesses in our community. 3. What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced over the years? Like many small businesses, one of the biggest challenges has been keeping up with constant changes in tax laws and regulations. The tax code evolves every year, and it’s important that we stay educated and up to date so we can properly guide and protect our clients. Another challenge has been managing growth. As Tidewater expanded over the years, it became important to build the right team and systems to continue providing the high level of service our clients expect. Hiring, training, and maintaining a knowledgeable staff has been essential to our success. There have also been particularly demanding seasons, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic, when new relief programs and tax provisions were being introduced quickly. During that time, many clients relied on us not only for tax preparation but also for guidance and reassurance. While these challenges can be demanding, they have also helped us grow stronger as a business. They have pushed us to continue learning, improving our processes, and strengthening our commitment to serving our clients and community. 4. What do you feel has been the key to longevity in the community? I believe the key to longevity has been building strong relationships and earning the trust of the people we serve. Many of our clients have been with us for decades, and it’s incredibly rewarding to see families return year after year and even bring the next generation to us for their tax and accounting needs. We’ve always focused on providing honest advice, dependable service, and taking the time to truly listen to our clients. Taxes can be stressful for many people, so we try to make the process as smooth and understandable as possible. Being involved in the community has also been very important to us. Supporting local organizations, schools, and community programs has helped us stay connected to the people we serve. When you care about your community and treat clients like family, those relationships naturally grow over time, and that’s what has allowed Tidewater to continue serving Fulton County for the past 30 years. 5. Do you have any memorable stories from any clients that stand out? Over the years there have been many memorable moments, but what stands out most are the long-term relationships we’ve built with our clients. We have had the privilege of preparing taxes for multiple generations within the same family, starting with the parents, and now helping their children and even grandchildren. Watching families grow and knowing they trust us year after year is incredibly meaningful. Another memorable part of this work is seeing clients reach milestones, whether it’s someone starting their first small business, purchasing their first home, or retiring after many years of hard work. Being able to guide them through those important financial moments is very rewarding. While taxes may seem like numbers on paper, behind every return is a person or family with a story. Being part of those journeys for the past 30 years is something we are truly grateful for. 6. How are you celebrating 30 years? Throughout the year we will be recognizing this anniversary with giveaways, client appreciation moments, and sharing memories from the past three decades. We also launched a 30-year anniversary campaign on our Facebook page, where we’ve been highlighting our history and giving our clients opportunities to participate in drawings and celebrations throughout the year. This summer we are also planning a Customer Appreciation Day as a way to personally thank the many clients who have supported Tidewater over the years.